Compare travel insurance for Portugal
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Compare travel insurance for Portugal
Portugal is a wonderful, safe holiday destination for holidaymakers of all ages. Along with its good weather, friendly people, it also has a long list of tourist attractions including:
- The Alfama District
- The Douro River
- Praia Da Marinha
- Tram 28
- Dom Luis Bridge
- The Riberia District
- Madeira
- Azores
29 million people visited Portugal in 20241 to enjoy these attractions, and more.
If you’re thinking about following in their footsteps soon, it’s important that you make sure you’ve got the right travel insurance for your trip. Once you do, you’ll be able to relax as you’ll be covered if you were to get injured or ill while you’re in there.
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What does travel insurance for Portugal cover?
Emergency medical expenses | If you fall ill or need medical treatment while you’re on holiday, having a travel insurance policy should mean that you can claim the cost of the treatment back. |
Medical repatriation (being flown back to your home country) | If you’re seriously injured or become seriously ill, you may have to be flown back home with a medical escort. If this happens in Portugal it can cost you more than £26,0002. |
Theft and loss | If you lose your bags in Lisbon, or have them stolen in Lisbon, you can receive money to replace them. Your belongings are covered if you’re a victim of theft, or if you were to lose your items. |
Travel disruption | If your trip, or part of your trip, is cancelled or delayed, you could be compensated for it. For example, there can sometimes be delays, or cancellations when flying into Madeira airport. |
Why you need travel insurance for Portugal
While the GHIC does provide you with access to basic public healthcare in Portugal, it doesn't cover everything. You would still be liable for the small co-payments or taxas moderadoras’ in public hospitals. Also, if you needed more complex care, or repatriation, you would either have to pay for it yourself or have your own travel insurance policy cover it.
Below are some of the costs you can expect to pay without insurance:
- GP Consultation: €40–€100 (approx £35 – £87)
- Specialist Consultation: €80–€150 (approx £70 – £130)
- Private Emergency Room Visit: €150–€300 (approx £130 – £260)
- Diagnostic Exams (e.g., blood tests, X-rays): €80–€200 (approx £70– £175)
- MRI: €275 (approx £238)3 & 4
What is not covered by travel insurance for Portugal?
High-risk activities | If you’re planning on doing high-risk activities in Portugal such as surfing, hiking, or skydiving, you may need activity-specific add-ons to make sure you’re covered. Most standard policies may not cover these types of activities, so, make sure you read your policy documents to understand what you are and aren’t covered for. |
Alcohol and drugs | If you were to get injured or sick from excessively drinking alcohol or taking illegal drugs, your policy will be invalidated. It’s also important to note that even though drugs have been decriminalised in Portugal, this doesn’t make them legal. You can still be fined between €30–€150 (approx £26–£130) and placed in a medical facility for possessing more than a 10-day supply of a controlled substance without a prescription. |
Not disclosing pre-existing medical conditions | If you get ill or injured during your trip, and you didn’t tell your insurance provider about a pre-existing condition, your insurance will be invalid, and you’d have to pay for your treatment yourself. |
How much does travel insurance for Portugal cost?
Portugal sits in the ‘Europe’ classification, which makes it one of the more affordable places to travel to from a travel insurance standpoint.
The following factors can also affect the cost of your travel insurance:
- Age - When you begin to approach the age of 65 and above, it may become more difficult to get affordable cover, as insurers see you as a higher risk customer.
- Medical History - You must disclose any pre-existing conditions during your medical screening. If you don’t, you run the risk of invalidating your policy if you have to make a claim for something related to your undisclosed condition. If your condition is well managed, and your health is stable, it will likely not affect the cost of your premium too much. Overall, the healthier you are, the more likely it is that your travel insurance will be cheaper.
- Planned Activities - The more high-risk activities you plan to do, the higher the likely cost of your cover will be. If you choose not to go skydiving in Portugal for example, your policy is likely to be cheaper as you don’t need to buy an activity add-on to cover it.
- Travelling against FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office) advice - If the UK government advises against travelling to Portugal due to a potential danger to UK citizens, and you were to still travel, you wouldn’t be covered.
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Tips on finding affordable travel insurance for Portugal
- Select "Europe" Cover - There is no need to pay for more expensive "Worldwide" policies if you’re only visiting Portugal.
- Leverage your GHIC - Always carry your Global Health Insurance Card. Many UK insurers will waive your medical excess (the amount you pay toward a claim) if you use a GHIC at a public Portuguese hospital.
- Consider Group Policies - if you’re travelling to Portugal as a family, or part of a group, a group travel insurance policy may be better value for money.
- Only buy add-ons if you need them - Standard policies may exclude higher risk activities such as cliff diving, riding quad bikes and mopeds. Only pay for these activity add-ons if you definitely plan to do them. Read your policy documents in detail to check what is and isn’t included and what you are and aren’t paying for.
- Declare your full medical history - Dealing with the Portuguese summer heat and steep hills can be exhausting. Either or both of these things can trigger a medical issue, if it’s a pre-existing one, and you didn’t declare it during the medical screening, your policy will be invalid. Declaring your full medical history means that your claim will be more likely to be accepted, saving you thousands of pounds in medical costs.
- Get Cancellation Protection -– Consider buying your policy the moment you book. This helps to make sure you are protected against ferry strikes or wildfires causing cancellations from day one of your trip planning. It’s important to note that you are only covered if a strike or wildfire becomes a ‘known event’ after you’ve bought your policy. If you buy it after they've started, you’re unlikely to be covered.
Find the right travel insurance policy for your trip to Portugal by comparing quotes now.
- Essential Medical Cover: While a GHIC provides basic state care, it doesn't cover or "taxas moderadoras" (local co-payments); insurance is vital for medical repatriation from islands like Madeira, which can cost over £26,0005.
- Activity and Behaviour Risks: Standard policies can exclude surfing or hiking without specific add-ons, dependent on altitude etc. so be sure to read your documents to understand you cover limits. Cover is also voided by injury due to excessive alcohol or illegal drug use, regardless of local decriminalisation laws.
- Full Medical Disclosure: You should declare all pre-existing conditions during screening; the steep terrain and summer heat can trigger undeclared issues, leading to rejected claims and high out-of-pocket costs.
- Strategic Savings: Choosing "Europe-only" cover and carrying a GHIC can lower premiums and potentially waive your medical excess. For maximum protection, buy your policy immediately after booking to cover against strikes or wildfires.